Manifold game apparatus



A. MOORE MANIFOLD GAME APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 29. 1922 INVEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

UNITED STATES Pres oFFIcE.

ARLINGTON MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO MOORE INVENTIONS CORPORA- LIPTON, OF WORCESTER, FIASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01 MASSACHUSETTS.

MANIFOLD GAME APPARA. TUS.

Application filed December 29, 1922, Serial No. 669,752.

My invention relates to a manifold game apparatus and particularly to an apparatus in which a weight is utilized to set parts into movement and the position in which said parts chance to come to rest determines the outcome of the play. The apparatus is adapted for a variety of diiferent games.

The preferred form of apparatus in accordance with my invention is extremely compact and light and can be carried in the pocket, taking up little or no more space than an ordinary safety match box, and yet is adapted for playing a variety of entertaining games, the change from one game to another at the choice of the user being simply and readily made.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a face view of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 3. F 3 1s asection on line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view similar to F ig. 2, and showing a modification. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a different cover plate. Fig. 7 is a "face view of the game disk used with the cover plate of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a face view of a disk which can be used with the cover plate shown in Fig. 1. The embodiments shown are for the purpose of illustration only and for affording an understand ing of the invention, and it is to be understood that same are not for limitation of the invention.

The box 10, made conveniently in two parts, joinodtogether as by screws or rivets, has a wheel 11 mounted to turn therein, its shaft 12 turning with the wheel 11, in bearings 13, 14-, arranged preferably in the center of the box sides. i/Vheel 11 has several vanes 15, and above and below wheel 11, box 10 is provided with shelves 16, 16 which have flanges 17, 17 and apertures 18, 18 for passage of ball 19. The arrangement is preferably such that the ball 19 can turn wheel 11 only in one direction, and as shown, the ends 20 of the box have their inner faces 20 inclined, so that when the box is set down the ball 19 runs beyond the shelf 16 to aposition from which when the box is turned upside down, it will drop on one of the vanes 15 and cause wheel 11 to turn in the direction or the arrow. The shelves 16, flanges 17 and holes 18 are so arranged that, whereas the ball can pass readily through the Renewed March 22, 1927.

hole 18 when falling, by reason of the outwardly inclined sides 20 thereof, it will not readily pass through hole 18 in the opposite direction.

Shaft 12, at its end 21, extends through the side 22 of box 10 and means are provided for securing a disk 23 to said projecting end 21. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the disks are removably secured in place. A screw.

threaded hub 2 3i is pinned to shaft 12 and the disk 23 is provided with an opening 25 to pass over the screw threaded hub 24; and be secured in place by the preferably knurled nut 26, and if desired, nut 26 may serve as a handle for twirling wheel 11. On the disk 23 are placed suitable indicia adapted :tor the playing of any desired game, as, for example, it may contain the dice markings as indicated at 27, Fig. 1, or red and black markings as indicated at 28, Fig. 8, or put and take directions as shown at 29, Fig. 7.

A cover plate 31 is provided, having apertures-such as 32 (Fig. 1) or 32 (Fig. 6). The cover plate 31 extends over the disk 23, so that all that can be seen of disk 23 is that part exposed through the aperture or apertures 32, 32, etc. Where a disk has dice markings or other indicia usually taken in pairs, two of the apertures or windows are provided, preferably opposite one another,

as shoWn in Fig. 1, or there may be more than two apertures or windows, or but one aperture 32, as in playing put and take, as indicated in Fig. 6. The cover plate 31 is preferably removable and may be secured 1n place by screws or nuts, as indicated at When the disk locking nut 26 is provided, the cover plate 31 has a hole 35 for same to extend through.

Spare disks are carried in the pocket 36, preferably located 'on the opposite side of box 10, and the cover plate 31 for the pocket, secured in place like that covering the rotatable disk 23, served as a spare cover plate and may be used as a cover plate with the appropriate disk, and has apertures to correspond therewith. To further simplify the device and reduce the number of its parts, both sides of the disk may be utilized for indicia markings. For example, one side of the disk may have the dice indicia and the other side the red and black roulette indicia, or one side may have the put and the result of the play.

take indicia and the other side may have playing card indicia,,etc. So that by simply removing the disk, reversing it and replacing it on the shaft 12, a different game may be played, or the disk in use may be entirely replaced by a spare disk from pocket 36.

The disks may be made of celluloid, fiber,

thin sheet aluminum or any other light sheet material.

Means are provided for stopping the disk 23 so that a marking, as dice spots and the 'like,.will be displayed in accurate relation to the window or windows 32. In the form shown, the disks have notches 38 in their periphery and the disk is straddled by a very light spring 39 having a cross-bar 40 to enter the notches 38, so that the wheel 11 and disk 23 will always come to rest with the cross-bar 40 of spring 89 in one of the notches 38, thereby causing the disk marking to register with the corresponding window.

If desired, the removable disk and cover plate features may be dispensed with and the disk 23 permanently secured to shaft 12, as shown at 41, Fig. 5, in which case the shaft is not exposed through the cover plate 42, and when this arrangement is resorted to, two disks and two cover plates may be provided, as shown in Fig. 5, in which a disk for one game is placed on one end of the shaft 12, and a disk for a different game on its opposite end. V

The box 10 may be made of any suitable material, such as aluminum, celluloid, fiber or the like, but a two-piece shell is preferably used to secure a light and inexpensive device. The ball 19 may be made of iron, steel or any other heavy material, of a weight .sufiicient, when it falls on one of the vanes, to cause rotation of the wheel 11, together with the shaft and disk rotating therewith,

To operate the device, the player picks it up, turns it upside down and puts it down.

- in Fig. 2, where it is ready for another play,

which consists in simply repeating the above procedure. This enables the playing to be continuous, without pauses, as for dealing cards, collecting dice, etc., and any number of people may play the same game.

It will be seen that a simple, attractive game apparatus is provided by my invention, which one can readily carry about in his pocket and which is adapted or can be readily adapted to play one of several games, Or even to play two different games at one time. The utility and entertaining powers of this device are limited only by the ingenuity of the user.

The advantages of my device are numerous. In addition to enabling adults to play any of a variety'of entertaining games, the device can be easily adapted to constitute a fruitful source of diversion for children, as by the use of pictures, etc., as the indicia. Its lightness, compactness, neat appearance and portability adapt it for use anywhere. There is nothing to adjust or get out of order, and with but little care, the device will give continued service for a long period of time.

Modifications and changes may be resorted to without departure from my invention, whichis defined by my claims.

I claim:

1. In game apparatus, a hollow closed casing, a ball free therein, a wheel in the casing adapted to be revolved by the ball when the casing is turned into different positions, indicia-bearing means on the outside of the casing and turning with the wheel, and an apertured cover over said indicia-bearing means, through which aperture the indicia are visible.

2. A closed casing, an indicia-bearing disk mounted on the outside of the casing, a Wheel and a ball in the casing, means for conveying rotation from the wheel to the disk, and an apertured cover'over saidindicia-bearing disk, through which aperture the indicia are visible. 7

8. In game apparatus, a closed box having flat bottom and top ends, a ball free in said box, a wheel mounted to turn therein and comprising vanes, a shaft turning with said wheel and extending to the outside of the boX, game indicia carrying means secured to said shaft and turning therewith, and an apertured cover over said indicia-bearing means, through which aperture the indicia are visible.

V 4. In game apparatus, a closed rectangular box having fiat ends, a ball free therein, a wheel having vanes revolubly mounted in said box, a shaft turning with the wheel, an indicia-bearing disk on the shaft, and a removable windowed cover for said disk.

5. In game apparatus, a closed fiat ended box adapted to stand oneither end, a wheel having vanes therein, game indicia carrying means actuated from said wheel, a ball free in the box, means in said box to guide the ball into cont-act with the wheel vanes, and an apertured cover over said indicia-bearing means, through which apertures the indicia are visible.

6. In game apparatus, a closed box having a windowed recess provided in a side thereof, a disk having game indicia thereon mounted to turn in the recess, and means within the box for imparting rotation to said disk when the box is turned upside down.

7. In game apparatus, a closed box, a ball free in said box, a wheel having vanes there in and adapted to be set into rotation by the ball when the box is turned upside down, a shaft turning with the wheel, a recess pro vided in the side of the box into which the shaft extends, an indicia-bearing disk fixed on said shaft, and a removable windowed cover for said recess having its window in line with the game indica on the disk.

8. In game apparatus, a box, a shaft ex tending therethrough, means in the box for causing rotation of the shaft when the box is turned upside down, and means for detachably securing disks carrying game indicia one at a time on said shaft.

9. A box, a ball free therein, a vaned wheel adapted to turn in the box, a shaft for the wheel extending through a wall of the box, and means for removably and replaceably securing one or another of a plurality of disks bearing game indicia to the projecting end of said shaft.

10. In game apparatus, a box having a shaft extending therefrom, a ball free in the box and means for causing the ball to rotate the shaft when the box is turned upside down, a plurality of disks carrying various game indicia on each side, means for detachably securing said disks one at a time to said shaft, a pocket for extra disks on one side of the box, and a removable cover for said pocket adapted to also serve as a cover for the disk attached to the shaft.

11. In game apparatus, a hollow casing, a plurality of recessed shelves therein, a shaft, a paddlewheel on said shaft, an indicia-bearing disk fastened on one end of said shaft and adapted to revolve therewith, an apertured cover in front of said disk, and a weight freely disposed within said casing and adapted when set in motion to revolve the paddlewheel and the disk, and means for causing the disk to stop with an indicia marking in register with the aperture in the cover.

12. In game apparatus, a hollow rectangular casing, a plurality of recessed shelves therein, a shaft through the center of the casing sides, a paddlewheel on said shaft, an indicia-bearing disk removably mounted on one end of said shaft and adapted to turn therewith, an apertured cover in front of said disk, and a weight moving freely within said casing adapted, when set in motion, to revolve the paddlewheel and disk, and means for stopping the disk with one of the indicia markings thereon in register with an aperture in the cover.

13. In game apparatus, a hollow casing, recessed shelves therein, a shaft, a paddlewheel on said shaft, an indicia-bearing disk mounted on one end of said shaft, said disk having notches in its periphery, a spring within said casing, a cross-bar on said spring adapted to engage the disk notches, an apertured cover in front of said disk, and a weight freely movable within said casing and adapted when set in motion to cause said paddlewheel and disk to revolve.

14. In game apparatus, a box-like casing flat on its ends and adapted to stand on either end, a recessed part on each side of the box, a shaft extending through the box and into the recess on one side, means within the casing for causing the shaft to rotate when the casing is turned upside down, a disk carrying game indicia removably mounted on said shaft and received in one of said recesses, a cover adapted to be used as a closure for either recess and having a window to expose game indicia therethrough, and a plurality of spare disks adapted when not in use to be carried in the remaining one of said recesses.

In testimony Wl1l380f,,I have signed my name hereto.

ARLINGTON MOORE. 

